Apr
19
There’s a new Golf Board Game that allows young and senior shut ins to experience the real game of golf, just like on a real course with par 3’s, 4’s and 5’s, water holes, sand traps and tree lined fairways . All the joys and frustrations of the real game on a real course, for the first time, people unable to play on a real course can participate in tournaments just like the pros .
But first, last week: Trevor Immelman withdrew late Wednesday. I had him in the outright and also in the head-to-head. That meant my chances for the week rested on Vaughn Taylor and Jim Furyk in the outright. Furyk missed his first cut in forever and Taylor looked good but couldn’t stay out of trouble late in the game Monday. He ended up T4. So, I lost half a unit on the week, bringing the season tally to -4.3 units for the year.
Developed in Europe where the weather restricts play in both summer and winter, golfers wanted something to play other than bridge etc, when weather interfered with play .
Weekley’s playing again this week, which gets me thinking about his chances. Remember early in the year when I was curious as to how players manage in a tournament following their first-ever win? And I found out, to my surprise, that (based on 2006 anyway) first-timers did pretty well for themselves the following week, one of them even finishing T2. Well, if you look at all winners from this year alone, and how they did the following week if they played (most did), you see even more striking results: T34, T48, T31, T19, 2, T9, T38, T28, T11, T27. Not a missed cut among them. Some respectable and high finishes in there. I smell me a head-to-head candidate …
Breath of fresh air, this Mr. Weekley, in the otherwise staid world of golf. Half the young guys on Tour seem to think they can wear personality in the form of yellow pants or pink shirts.
When the game was first introduced teaching professionals found it provided an excellent teaching aid to teach beginners about club selection and course management .
Take Brent Snedeker (80-1), 1/6 unit: Snedeker’s making a living. He hasn’t slagged off since that 3 at the Buick Invitational, finishing out of T50 just once since. He’s coming off a T16 last week. As we saw at the Buick, it’s his poise more than anything else—he doesn’t think too much out there.
The game called Board Golf Challenge was recently introduced in the United States on a limited basis in Florida, the PGA was offered an opportunity to make the game part of their Special Olympics Program, to take the game of golf to people those who need activities available to their peers free to enjoy the great outdoors.
At this week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans, take Daniel Chopra (40-1), 1/6 unit: He has to win some time. I just can’t see him being a DiMarco type of player—lots of cuts made, T25-ish finishes, lots of yearly money but little or no wins to show for it. I don’t see him that way because he’s much more talented than DiMarco and seems to be better in the temper department. Maybe his DQ last week for an illegal drop will have an inverse Mark Wilson effect and propel Chopra to his first victory.
Couch and Boo Weekley share something in common: they both chew tobacco. Weekley, who won last week with consecutive chip-in pars on the 17th and 18th at Harbourtown, was asked by the Golf Channel about playing in Maui next year. He said he’ll be there and joked, “Y’ain’t gonna see redneck surfin’, I’m sorry.”
Take Sean O’Hair (20-1), 1/6 unit: After a rough start to the year in which he missed a lot of cuts, O’Hair has gone T14, T14 and 7 (last week) in his last three. He didn’t play the Zurich Classic last year, but finished T14 in 2005. Still young, still lot of potential, I just wonder about drive.
In the head-to-head, take Weekley to finish higher than Stephen Leaney (10-11), 1 unit: It’s true Leaney’s been playing really well lately (T8, T19 and 3 in his last three tournaments), but so has Mr. Weekley. Plus, the average finish of all winners on Tour when they play the following week this year is 24.7, and as I noted above not a one has missed the cut. If Weekley ends up in the top-25 this week, I like my chances in the head-to-head.